THE RULES OF THE ROAD.(opera singer Carol Vaness)(Interview)

CAROL VANESS HAS LEARNED A LOT IN THE COURSE OF HER CAREER ABOUT WHAT TO DO -- AND WHAT NOT TO DO. NOW SHE LOVES BEING THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE FOR YOUNG SINGERS

Carol Vaness is funny, candid and hip -- the ideal diva for the new millennium. She's such a hot ticket that she's often mistaken for being younger than she really is. In fact, Vaness, forty-eight, has been a major star on the international opera scene for twenty years, and lately she's been giving back some of what she's gotten by devoting part of her schedule to working with young singers.

San Francisco Opera has probably been the most important company in Vaness's career. Recently, OPERA NEWS caught up with her while she was performing Tosca in Seattle and preparing for SFO's new production of Simon Boccanegra, opening this month. She was also conducting master classes at SFO's Merola Opera Program, where she got her start in 1976.

OPERA NEWS: Was the Merola program a good learning experience?

CAROL VANESS: Can I say I learned a lot? I learned a great deal watching how the opera world works. I learned how to coach. I think as a young singer you don't even necessarily know how to take advice. You don't know how to deal politically with other singers, or how to deal with stress.

San Francisco was always a singer-friendly house, and in those days Mr. [Kurt] Adler insisted that we attend rehearsals for the regular season. Being around professionals almost taught me more than the classes. And although I think programs like these have gotten better and better over the years, I still think they need more people who can give the kids a bridge between learning "This is how you move your hand," or "This is how you fall when you're having a fit," and how you apply it.

ON: So now that you're one of the masters giving these classes, how do you try to provide this bridge for the young singers?